Photogenic Kyoto! Travelling around the Otokuni area with a camera in hand for 2 days and 1 night

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

Enjoy the beautiful gardens and architecture of the Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

We will visit art museums within walking distance from Hankyu Oyamazaki Station and JR Yamazaki Station.
The Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art was originally the mountain villa of Kansai businessman Shotaro Kaga.
Kaga chose this place for the construction of the mountain villa after seeing the Thames River while studying in England and superimposing the Kizu River, Uji River, and Katsura River, which join together near Oyamazaki to form the Yodo River. Over the course of 20 years, he built the buildings and gardens himself, without relying on an architect.
The Western-style garden, planted with trees and flowers that reflect the four seasons, and the Japanese-style garden with a pond create a stunning contrast with the modern Tudor Gothic building, creating an elegant mix of Japanese and Western styles that spreads across the entire 18,000m2 grounds.

Kaga's mountain villa is decorated with a high-quality interior that exudes a deep luster and beautiful grain that has developed over time. Among these, the bamboo shoot carvings on the coved ceiling of the exhibition room are a must-see. They are placed so casually that you could easily overlook the local specialty products of the region, revealing a sense of playfulness that delights visitors who notice them. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the staircase that creates an open atrium are stunningly beautiful and will take your breath away. You can feel the attention to detail and passion that went into the architecture in each and every detail, and the good taste shines through.

This building deteriorated over the course of its history, and was at risk of being demolished at the end of the Showa era due to plans to build an apartment building. However, after a preservation campaign by local volunteers, Asahi Breweries, which had a connection with Shotaro Kaga, jointly purchased it with Kyoto Prefecture, restored it, and opened it to the public as a museum, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.

More than 100 years have passed since the construction of the villa, which has architectural value as a registered tangible cultural property. You can also view permanent exhibits of items related to the Mingei Movement and Monet. The view from the coffee shop is great, and you can also see modern architecture such as the "Underground Jewelry Box" and "Dream Box" designed by Tadao Ando.
It was a fascinating museum where you could enjoy art, architecture, and abundant nature.

Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

"Relish" and "Relish Shokudo" offer thoughtful living

Next to the private houses near the station, a stylish single-story detached house catches your eye.
This is "Relish," a cooking school and general store run by Kaoru Mori. A former residence has been renovated to create a relaxing and spacious lesson room, as well as a shop selling tableware, cooking utensils, seasonings, and other items that can be used in daily life.
The store is stocked with accessories and kitchen utensils selected by professional chefs that you'll want to use right away. You can also get the dashi and soy sauce from Kyoto's long-established stores that Mori uses in her cooking classes, as well as organic foods.
The shop's backyard is a garden, and vegetables grown there are used in cooking classes and other events.

"Making delicious food and having people say it's delicious" may seem simple at first glance, but it can be a struggle to do it every day, and we all end up just buying ready-made meals from the supermarket or ordering delivery... This is something we've all been through. Mori accepts this lifestyle, lowers the hurdles of cooking every day, and holds cooking classes that are sprinkled with hints for making delicious food in a "fun" way. She believes that the "taste of home" is the food that is served on the dinner table on special, ordinary days in Japan, and that this taste is what creates and preserves family memories and communication, and she conveys this in her classes, lectures, and events. Mori's activities have expanded even further, and she is now involved in food education for children, efforts to ensure safe food, and the preservation of food culture itself.

You can try Mori's cooking at Relish Shokudo, located about a 10-minute walk from Relish.
The set meals, which change every month, are packed with Mori's proposed methods. The set meals are visually appealing, and feature a line-up of elegant side dishes with a well-balanced five flavors, sometimes using herbs and leafy vegetables grown in Relish's fields. In addition, the meals are packed with tips for cooking that can be made delicious with just a little trick or knowledge, such as miso soup made with broth from Kyoto's long-established Uneno and Mori's homemade pickled vegetables.
The main dish for the day was cheese-stuffed hamburger steak. Even the sauce was homemade, and all of the recipes were posted on the blackboard. The recipes and menu are easy to recreate and challenge yourself to try when you get home.

Food satisfies not only the stomach but also the soul. By accumulating satisfying experiences from your daily diet, you will develop the strength to live and a rich sensitivity. And with a little ingenuity, cooking can be delicious, easy, and fun.
It was a worthwhile time where I learned a lot from Relish.
This experience once again allowed me to appreciate the depth of Kyoto cuisine.

Relish

Relish Diner

Be soothed by the flower water fountain at Yanagidani Kannon Yodo-ji Temple

The Chozuya (purification fountain) found in the grounds of shrines and temples is primarily used for purification rituals, but did you know that recently there has been a new type of Chozuya called "Hana Chozu" (flower chozu) with beautiful flowers floating in it?

This flower water basin is a delight to the eyes of all who come to pray at Yanagidani Kannon Yokokuji Temple (hereinafter referred to as Yokokuji Temple).
Said to have been founded in 806 (the first year of the Daido era), Yokokuji Temple is an ancient temple built in the mountains with over 1,200 years of history. It has a main hall that is a registered tangible cultural property, a garden that was created in the mid-Edo period and is one of Kyoto Prefecture's designated scenic spots, and is beloved as a Kannon statue that heals eye ailments. The temple is especially popular during the hydrangea and autumn foliage seasons, and is visited by many people.

The head priest and his wife arrange flowers in the water basin every day. They wanted to plant flowers in the garden, but because the site is designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty, there are various restrictions on planting. After much deliberation, they had the idea to float flowers in the basin. This idea gained popularity on social media in 2018, and since then, various seasonal flowers have been floating in the basin. Flowers have a healing effect on the soul, and they hope that by sending this message to people all over the world, people will be able to feel a little peace.

Even a single drop of rain can cause the flower water basin to crumble. The couple takes time to maintain it several times a day, but they put a lot of thought into making them so that people who come to pray can be pleased.
The temple has made some small changes while still preserving its traditions, making it a popular spot representing the Otokuni area, visited by tourists from all over Japan.

Yanagidani Kannon Temple

Nakanotei: A Japanese restaurant where you can enjoy history and food culture

The Nakano Family Residence, a cultural property built at the end of the Edo period along the old Saigoku Kaido road in Nagaokakyo City, is a nationally registered tangible cultural property and is a historic building that embodies the characteristics of a townhouse from that time.
The building was donated to the city in 2014 and has since been transformed into a restaurant called "Obanzai to Sake Nakano Tei" (hereafter referred to as "Nakano Tei"), operated by the disability support group "Kurashi Lamp General Incorporated Association." In addition to being a restaurant, the spot has many attractions, including "Koan," made by a master carpenter from Kyoto, a storehouse that will be used as an experience facility for indigo dyeing, and a newly added bamboo fence.

Nakano-tei is creating a space where people with disabilities can enjoy working. How do you match food to this space? After repeated trial and error, it is now in its third year and has grown into a restaurant that is visited by not only locals but also tourists.
The course menu emphasizes the flavor of the ingredients and features dishes with dashi that will soothe your body.
The evening menu, "Nakano-tei Course," includes five kinds of side dishes, aged roast beef, a seasonal main dish, dried fish, and rice cooked in a pot (with soup stock). The taste was varied and the refined soup stock had a gentle flavor, so I enjoyed eating until the very end. There is also a coffee roaster in the building, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee after your meal.
In particular, "Ikkoku-boshi" is a specialty of Miyazu, Kyoto, where fresh fish is filleted and then dried for 1.5 to 2 hours to remove moisture and concentrate the flavor. Rather than being used for preservation, this method is used to create a strong flavor and texture, and the fish remains juicy even after being grilled.
The course included Japanese food culture with side dishes and dashi broth, making it a fun experience to savor the flavors.
We also offer a bento delivery service during lunchtime.

Nakano House: Obanzai and Sake